TikTok removed fake adverts for weight loss drugs after a company impersonating UK retailer Boots used AI-generated videos. The clips falsely showed healthcare professionals promoting prescription-only medicines.
Boots said it contacted TikTok after becoming aware of the misleading adverts circulating on the platform. TikTok confirmed the videos were removed for breaching its rules on deceptive and harmful advertising.
BBC reporting found the account was briefly able to repost the same videos before being taken down. The account appeared to be based in Hong Kong and directed users to a website selling the drugs.
UK health regulators warned that prescription-only weight loss medicines must only be supplied by registered pharmacies. TikTok stated that it continues to strengthen its detection systems and bans the promotion of controlled substances.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
TikTok Shop has introduced digital gift cards as part of its wider push into e-commerce. Users can purchase cards for $10 to $500 and choose animated designs for occasions such as birthdays or weddings. Availability is currently limited to the United States.
Recipients must have a TikTok account to redeem a gift card, and the balance is added to their TikTok Wallet instantly. Users can reply with a thank-you message or send a gift card as a return gesture. The approach reinforces TikTok’s focus on social interaction alongside transactions.
The feature puts the digital shop in more direct competition with established e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and eBay, which have long offered digital gift cards. Moves into higher-end retail to broaden its ambitions. The social media powerhouse is positioning itself as a full-scale online marketplace.
Momentum has continued to build, with US sales exceeding $500 million during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday period. The results highlight rising consumer confidence in the platform’s ability to drive purchases. Engagement is increasingly translating into measurable commerce.
Further developments are planned, including video messages and an interactive unboxing experience, which are expected to be released in early 2026. Expansion continues despite uncertainty around the platform’s future in the US. Negotiations over a potential sale remain unresolved ahead of January 2026.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Investors keen to buy TikTok’s US operations say they are left waiting as the sale is delayed again. ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese owner, was required to sell or be blocked under a 2024 law.
US President Donald Trump seems set to extend the deadline for a fifth time. Billionaires, including Frank McCourt, Alexis Ohanian and Kevin O’Leary, are awaiting approval.
Investor McCourt confirmed his group has raised the necessary capital and is prepared to move forward once the sale is allowed. National security concerns remain the main reason for the ongoing delays.
Project Liberty, led by McCourt, plans to operate TikTok without Chinese technology, including the recommendation algorithm. The group has developed alternative systems to run the platform independently.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech, and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Regulators in the EU have accepted binding commitments from TikTok aimed at improving advertising transparency under the Digital Services Act.
An agreement that follows months of scrutiny and addresses concerns raised in the Commission’s preliminary findings earlier in the year.
TikTok will now provide complete versions of advertisements exactly as they appear in user feeds, along with associated URLs, targeting criteria and aggregated demographic data.
Researchers will gain clearer insight into how advertisers reach users, rather than relying on partial or delayed information. The platform has also agreed to refresh its advertising repository within 24 hours.
Further improvements include new search functions and filters that make it easier for the public, civil society and regulators to examine advertising content.
These changes are intended to support efforts to detect scams, identify harmful products and analyse coordinated influence operations, especially around elections.
TikTok must implement its commitments to the EU within deadlines ranging from two to twelve months, depending on each measure.
The Commission will closely monitor compliance while continuing broader investigations into algorithmic design, protection of minors, data access and risks connected to elections and civic discourse.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Regulators in Ireland have opened investigations into TikTok and LinkedIn under the EU Digital Services Act.
Coimisiún na Meán’s Investigations Team believes there may be shortcomings in how both platforms handle reports of suspected illegal material. Concerns emerged during an exhaustive review of Article 16 compliance that began last year and focused on the availability of reporting tools.
The review highlighted the potential for interface designs that could confuse users, particularly when choosing between reporting illegal content and content that merely violates platform rules.
An investigation that will examine whether reporting tools are easy to access, user-friendly and capable of supporting anonymous reporting of suspected child sexual abuse material, as required under Article 16(2)(c).
It will also assess whether platform design may discourage users from reporting material as illegal under Article 25.
Coimisiún na Meán stated that several other providers made changes to their reporting systems following regulatory engagement. Those changes are being reviewed for effectiveness.
The regulator emphasised that platforms must avoid practices that could mislead users and must provide reliable reporting mechanisms instead of diverting people toward less protective options.
These investigations will proceed under the Broadcasting Act of Ireland. If either platform is found to be in breach of the DSA, the regulator can impose administrative penalties that may reach six percent of global turnover.
Coimisiún na Meán noted that cooperation remains essential and that further action may be necessary if additional concerns about DSA compliance arise.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
Two teenagers in Australia have taken the federal government to the High Court in an effort to stop the country’s under-16 social media ban, which is due to begin on 10 December. The case was filed by the Digital Freedom Project with two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy Neyland, listed as plaintiffs. The group says the law strips young people of their implied constitutional right to political communication.
The ban will lead to the deactivation of more than one million accounts held by users under 16 across platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat, Twitch, Facebook and Instagram. The Digital Freedom Project argues that removing young people from these platforms blocks them from engaging in public debate. Neyland said the rules silence teens who want to share their views on issues that affect them.
The Digital Freedom Project’s president, John Ruddick, is a Libertarian Party politician in New South Wales. After the lawsuit became public, Communications Minister Anika Wells told Parliament the government would not shift its position in the face of legal threats. She said the government’s priority is supporting parents rather than platform operators.
The law, passed in November 2024, is supported by most Australians according to polling. The government says research links heavy social media use among young teens to bullying, misinformation and harmful body-image content.
Companies that fail to comply with the ban risk penalties of up to A$49.5 million. Lawmakers and tech firms abroad are watching how the rollout unfolds, as Australia’s approach is among the toughest efforts globally to restrict minors’ access to social platforms.
Would you like to learn more aboutAI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
TikTok has announced a set of new well-being features designed to help users build more balanced digital habits. The rollout includes an in-app experience with breathing exercises, calming audio tracks and short ‘Well-being Missions’ that reward mindful behaviour.
The missions are interactive tasks, such as quizzes and flashcards, that encourage users to explore TikTok’s existing digital-wellness tools (like Sleep Hours and Screen Time Management). Completing these missions earns users badges, reinforcing positive habits. In early tests, approximately 40 percent of people who saw the missions chose to try them.
TikTok is also experimenting with a dedicated ‘pause and recharge’ space within the app. This includes safe, calming activities that help users disconnect: for instance, before bedtime or after long scrolling sessions.
The broader effort reflects TikTok’s growing emphasis on digital wellness, part of a larger industry trend on the responsible and healthy use of social platforms.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
TikTok has announced new tools to help users shape and understand AI-generated content (AIGC) in their feeds. A new ‘Manage Topics’ control will let users adjust how much AI content appears in their For You feeds alongside keyword filters and the ‘not interested’ option.
The aim is to personalise content rather than remove it entirely.
To strengthen transparency, TikTok is testing ‘invisible watermarking’ for AI-generated content created with TikTok tools or uploaded using C2PA Content Credentials. Combined with creator labels and AI detection, these watermarks help track and identify content even if edited or re-uploaded.
The platform has launched a $2 million AI literacy fund to support global experts in creating educational content on responsible AI. TikTok collaborates with industry partners and non-profits like Partnership on AI to promote transparency, research, and best practices.
Investments in AI extend beyond moderation and labeling. TikTok is developing innovative features such as Smart Split and AI Outline to enhance creativity and discovery, while using AI to protect user safety and improve the well-being of its trust and safety teams.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
In the UK and other countries, teenagers continue to encounter harmful social media content, including posts about bullying, suicide and weapons, despite the Online Safety Act coming into effect in July.
A BBC investigation using test profiles revealed that some platforms continue to expose young users to concerning material, particularly on TikTok and YouTube.
The experiment, conducted with six fictional accounts aged 13 to 15, revealed differences in exposure between boys and girls.
While Instagram showed marked improvement, with no harmful content displayed during the latest test, TikTok users were repeatedly served posts about self-harm and abuse, and one YouTube profile encountered videos featuring weapons and animal harm.
Experts warned that changes will take time and urged parents to monitor their children’s online activity actively. They also recommended open conversations about content, the use of parental controls, and vigilance rather than relying solely on the new regulatory codes.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
TikTok has responded to the Science, Innovation and Technology Committee regarding proposed cuts to its UK Trust and Safety teams. The company claimed that reducing staff while expanding AI, third-party specialists, and more localised teams would improve moderation effectiveness.
The social media platform, however, did not provide any supporting data or risk assessment to justify these changes. MPs previously called for more transparency on content moderation data during an inquiry into social media, misinformation, and harmful algorithms.
TikTok’s increasing reliance on AI comes amid broader concerns over AI safety, following reports of chatbots encouraging harmful behaviours.
Committee Chair Dame Chi Onwurah expressed concern that AI cannot reliably replace human moderators. She warned AI could cause harm and criticised TikTok for not providing evidence that staff cuts would protect users.
The Committee urges the Government and Ofcom to take action to ensure user safety before implementing staffing reductions. Dame Onwurah emphasised that without credible data, it is impossible to determine whether the changes will effectively protect users.
Would you like to learn more about AI, tech and digital diplomacy? If so, ask our Diplo chatbot!
